


Make my mark in the world - with a bat and a blade

by Spicy_Cannoli_AKA_Lia



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Bat-man and Robin, Big Brother Steve Harrington, Codependency, Crying, Depression, Dyslexia, Eventual Romance, F/M, Future Harringrove, Good Babysitter Robin Buckley, Good Babysitter Steve Harrington, Good Friend Robin Buckley, Hurt/Comfort, Lesbian Robin Buckley, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pre-Slash, Recreational Drug Use, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington Friendship, Steve / oc for a chapter, Steve Harrington-centric, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Underage Drinking, When we reach season 2
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2020-10-17 02:17:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20613308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spicy_Cannoli_AKA_Lia/pseuds/Spicy_Cannoli_AKA_Lia
Summary: Her height was wrong, she looked younger than he remembered, and her hair was too long, but as he looked at her face he knew she was unmistakably-‘’Robin’’ he said, not realising he had opened his mouth until the name was already out.Robin turned her face towards him, a recognition that shouldn’t be there flashing through her blue eyes.He knew they weren’t supposed to meet yet, but the fact that he found her here, in a place he had never heard of from her, gave him hope, hope that he wasn’t alone. But he had to make sure, so he opened his mouth and in perfect Russian recited-‘’A trip to China sounds nice”“if you tread lightly.’’.Steve Harrington never understood loneliness until he was stuck five years in the past with nothing but a whole lot of trauma, insomnia, and a stupid fear of flickering lights. But still, alone or not he had the perfect opportunity to change what happened. To make sure none of his shitty kids has to sleep with the lights one because of the monsters they know are real. He could save Barb, he could save Bob, he could save- Billy.And maybe, just maybe, Steve isn't as alone as he first thought.





	1. Cadaver of Days

**Author's Note:**

  * For [QueenMissFit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenMissFit/gifts).

> First chapter is kinda short, like a prologue perhaps but uh yeah, here it goes.  
(sorry if the format is confusing)

* * *

1982

* * *

As he entered the room, his eyes immediately zeroed on a girl on the back.

She was young, around his age perhaps, and had long blond hair and freckles all over her face. Her height was wrong, she looked younger than he remembered, and her hair was too long, but as he looked at her face he knew she was unmistakably-

‘’Robin’’ he said, not realising he had opened his mouth until the name was already out.

Robin turned her face towards him, a recognition that shouldn’t be there flashing through her blue eyes. He knew they weren’t supposed to meet yet, but the fact that he found her here, in a place he had never heard of from her, gave him hope, hope that he wasn’t alone. But he had to make sure, so he opened his mouth and in perfect Russian recited-

“A trip to China sounds nice”

“if you tread lightly.’’

* * *

1985

* * *

The fight was over.

They’d won.

Yet as always, it wasn’t a victimless war.

Steve looked down as Hargrove sacrificed himself after El whispered those words. He couldn’t hear anything but Max’s screams as the Mind Flayer impaled Hargrove’s abdomen.

It seemed like an oxymoron, the man he’d always seen as someone strong, someone to fear, was dying a floor below. He had to admit, it made some morbid kind of sense that he’d die being a stubborn asshole and deifying the creature that controlled him for so long.

The Mind Flayer suddenly fell, but all he could focus on was Hargrove’s body. A day ago he was on a Russian elevator, with no idea that the Upside Down was back, or that Hargrove was possessed. It all happened so quickly it actually hurt his head.

‘’Ugh’’ he heard a groan from his right. Robin was clutching her head, her eyes closed in pain. He only realised the pain on his head might be caused by a bit more than confusion when it suddenly intensified a tenfold.

Steve could feel it spreading from his head to his neck to the rest of his body. All his muscles ached -and not in a good way, the way they felt after an intense basketball practice- and his veins felt like they were filled with fire.

“God” he moaned, “you think- you think it’s that drug they gave us?” He asked her as he kneeled on the floor, the pain far too strong to stay standing.

“I don’t know d-dingus” she managed to get out, before falling down, her body suddenly lifeless. Steve didn’t really have much time to be more alarmed before he met a similar fate. The excruciating pain was so strong he didn’t even feel when his body hit the floor.

* * *

1981

* * *

Steve opened his eyes to see his room ceiling.

He had a headache, nothing near the earlier pain, but he couldn’t feel any of the wounds the Russian soldier had inflicted on him. His body felt well-rested, not even the soreness sleeping on an elevator had given him remained.

His body wasn’t the only thing that felt different though, his room felt different too. His blinds were closed, something he hadn’t bothered to do since his first encounter with the Upside Down. It smelled different too; stale, like dirty clothes and closed windows. He sat in his bed, and immediately got hit by nostalgia.

His room still had the Blondie and The Cure posters and old Batman and Robin duvet he had throughout his childhood; the swimming trophy he’d won back in middle school was sitting proudly in his desk, instead of in his shelf, with all the other sports trophies he’d won in highschool. It all seemed as if he was back on his childhood room, a room he hadn’t seen since mid freshman year when Tommy H had told him having a Batman duvet was childish and he’d finally said goodbye to it. Everything was too exact to be a joke.

The room was even the same blue paint it used to have, and the room didn’t smell of paint, as it would if this was installed the day he got stuck in the elevator from hell. If he didn’t know better he’d think he was in the past but, it couldn’t be. Could it?

* * *

All the remains of a cadaver of days,

I keep hidden away, keep them there just in case.

I wanna visit that place,

Blow the dust from the bones

Off a body of years that I leave all alone.

-Mother Mother, Body of Years.


	2. Dread in my Heart

* * *

**1982**

* * *

They had to be moved to another room.

As soon as they exchanged those words, they both broke down crying. They hugged each other and cried together because they had been alone for so  _ long _ , as the other students and the teacher watched astonished.

It only took a few seconds before the teacher snapped out of his surprised state and moved them to another room to cry it out. He didn’t seem particularly perturbed, as if kids crying on his class was a thing that happened. But, considering most of the kids and adults who come to this particular teacher suffer some kind of PTSD, Steve guessed he shouldn’t be shocked.

Still, the teacher’s -whose name he didn’t remember now- reaction to them breaking down wasn’t really upfront on his mind. The main thoughts floating through Steve's head where ‘ _ Robin _ ’ And ‘ _ I’m not alone’. _

Still, after so many months alone, the first thing he could say after finding her was-

“Your hair is longer”

“Yeah, dingus” she responded while softly chuckling through tears, “yeah it is. Yours is shorter”

“I’m growing it out, don’t worry,” he joked as he brushed the hair out of his face. As much as he wanted to keep this  _ normal  _ conversation, acting as if all was fine he knew he had to ask.

“What’s the last thing you remember?” He asked softly while settling down against the wall. Robin’s smaller body was curled towards him and she looked up at his face as she answered.

“I remember... we were fighting that horrible horrible thing with fireworks and Hargrove- he just- and then it just- stopped. And then this incredible pain in my head and suddenly- I- I was in my old room and my dog Marie was alive and- I thought I had lost my mind, Steve, what the fuck is going on”

Steve just looked at her, she still looked like he last remembered, but somewhat softer. If she didn’t look like the fourteen-year-old she currently was, he would’ve said he’d fallen in love with her all over again.

“Honestly Rob,” he said with a voice far more confident-if a bit shaky from all the crying- than what he felt, “I have no fucking clue”

  
  


* * *

**1981**

* * *

After a mental breakdown, a few tears and a bit of exploring the nearby stores that he knew where demolished, and seeing the empty places where other stores where built, Steve was 100% sure he was in the past.

He felt like he was thinking clearer than before -sleep deprivation and whatever that drug the Russians injected him didn’t really help his already subpar brain- but he still wasn’t sure he was taking the situation the right way, however if there was something he’d learnt from fighting monsters in an almost yearly basis, it was to roll with the punches as they came, so after ten minutes wandering outside, he’d come back to his empty house -somethings never change- and sat on his bedroom floor to think.

He knew he hadn’t made the last five years up -he was never a good student and the math he knew at the moment was far more than a 14-year-old should know- and he knew he was in the past. So Steve sat on the floor and opened a notebook -a gift for the 13th birthday he never used- and began to write.

** List of things that need to be done **

  1. Save Billy Hargrove
  2. Save Barb
  3. Close the Gate the first time around
  4. Stop the Russians when they come
  5. Get good grades
  6. Befriend Robin and the Party again
  7. Get El and Will a better childhood
  8. **DON'T** date Nancy again

He looks down at the last step he’d written. He was just trying to remember all the things that happened the last three years, but while thinking about finding D’art and helping Dustin he couldn’t help but remember the heartache Nancy had given him. Even though this probably wasn’t the time to think about it, he couldn’t help but lament the fact that ever since he started dating Nancy he didn’t seem to have as much luck with girls as he used to. And now he was stuck in the past. 

Still, he had a plan now- well not a plan but the idea behind one at least. But he couldn’t do any of that at his current level. He was just a fourteen year old, the lab coats at Hawkins lab would shoot him on sight, and he didn’t have the mismatched team that helped him with the Russians yesterd- a few years in the future. He couldn’t do this alone. He needed help.

He needed Eleven. 

She was the only one who could close the gate, and while he was sure he could take any Demo-dog, he wasn’t sure how well he’d fare against a Demogorgon that wasn’t stuck and burning, less the Mind Flayer himself.

He also needed to know Russian. He was sure the Russians would come no matter how fast the Gate was closed -he briefly entertained the thought of stopping the Gate from opening at all, but he didn’t have that much information about how or when it happened, all he knew was that the lab coats at the lab where responsible and that Eleven was the instrument they used- and the thought of being trapped and not understanding what was being said unless they wanted him to, being completely at their mercy in every way, he never wanted to hear that again.

He had also lost too many fights. He needed not just know how to fight, but know how to take down men stronger and bigger than him.

So with a new to-do-list in mind (and written down) Steve leaned back towards his bed, closed his eyes, and finally let himself weep.

  
  


* * *

**1982**

* * *

“What have you changed?” He asked outside.

Once they stopped their hugging and crying they had sheepishly rejoined the class. They had only missed the introductory talk (it was a first-class after all) and the teacher -Michael was his name, a British dude, very nice- had let them join the class as long as they let him give his begging speech after it ended.

They were lucky -Robin’s mother was running late and Steve was walking home- but even though they only had a little time they were still talking calmly. While the time they currently had was short, the years ahead, were more than enough, so they talked slowly and enjoyed the feeling of not being alone for once in a year.

“Not much” she answered his earlier question. Even though they became friends just a few days before Traveling, even though they weren’t that physical back then and even though they hadn’t seen each other in a year, she was sitting in between Steve’s legs, head resting on his shoulders and his arms around her waist.

Anyone else would see a young couple, a bit of PDA, but if one looked closer they would notice the desperation with which they hold each other and the redness of their eyes.

“I changed my french class for Russian since I already know french and-“

“The feeling of not knowing what’s being said sucks right?” Steve interrupted her. “I did the same. Well minus the french part”

“That explains how your pronunciation didn’t suck back then.’’ she joked. “Well besides that I haven’t changed much. Well, my personality I guess but there’s no helping that. My parents know something is wrong because of the sudden change actually, they took me to a therapist actually” Robin said as she snooped on his bag. Not that Steve minded of course.

Steve cleared his throat awkwardly, “Oh, I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t be dingus” she responded “It has actually helped a lot, with uh panic attacks and shit. You should get one too, I’ll give you the name of mine, I’m sure your parents are worried too so it shouldn’t be too hard to convince them right?’’

“Well,’’ he started, “Actually I haven’t seen them much lately. They travel a lot you know?’’ he said, shifting a bit in his seat. “And I’m not sure they’d like that. My dad didn’t even let me take supplementary reading lessons back in middle school. He said that I was a Harrington, and I didn't need any help or something.’’ As he talked, Steve didn’t really hold eye contact, as if ashamed of his father. “He doesn’t really believe in therapy you know?’’

“Oh, Steve,’’ Robin said, and Steve hated the pity he could see in her eye so before she could say anything else, he made a quick jerking motion, as if he was standing up, to non-verbally tell her to move. She stood up and Steve immediately crouched down and went to look for his notebook and a pencil in his bag. 

Robin raised a questioning eyebrow as Steve scribbled down something in it. He then ripped the page out of the notebook and gave it to her. 

“Here, my address and phone number’’ he told her. “When do you think you could drop by?’’ he asked, tilting his head towards her. “Uh, next Friday maybe. Katie would cover for me’’ she answered. 

“Good,’’ Steve said. “A lot of mistakes have happened in this town, and it’s about time somebody fixed them’’

* * *

There’s a god awful shitty feeling of dread in my heart

And I can’t seem to change my attitude, but I can change my shirt

‘Cause you know how actually at times that can be a good start

But not today, there’s still a god awful shitty feeling of dread in my heart

-Mother Mother, Dread in my Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second chappie!! I'm currently in the prosses of writing the third one but it shouldn't take too long. I probably won't post it when I'm done though since I like to leave it to rest for a couple of days before rereading it and editing it with fresher eyes.   
BTW the chapter titles are all from Mother Mother songs. I say the name (and a few lyrics) at the bottom, feel free to check them out (the title comes from Cadaver of Days= 
> 
> Once again, lots of thanks to queenmissfit on Tumblr for helping me with this!!! She's the one you have to thank for the added years haha, I wanted it to be more confusing lol. 
> 
> I'm spicy canolli on Tumblr, feel free to DM me, I'm lonely.


	3. Little Pistol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin is frustrated, Steve is nervous and there are dogs.

* * *

**July 1982**

* * *

‘’Braid my hair ’’

The words didn’t have half the right of sounding so demanding, coming out of the mouth of a seven-year-old. Robin would like to say that when Steve suggested they start babysitting this wasn’t exactly what she had in mind, but that would be lying. She told him that this was a bad idea, but he kept going around, saying things like  _ ‘but this way we can meet the gang earlier,’  _ and  _ ‘this is a good way to earn money and spend time together’  _ as if  _ he _ needed more money.

“What kind of braid do you want?’’ she asked the little brat. She had nothing against kids, however, Elizabeth ‘call me Lizzie’ Montgomery was far too demanding for her tastes. Not that her twin brother, Richard ‘call me Richie’ Montgomery was any better on the demanding front, but he was far easier to handle, all she had to do was to play some songs on her oboe (for once not the school oboe. Steve would make a good sugar daddy she won’t lie) or tell him whatever ridiculous story she could come up with. Lizzie on the other hand was far too demanding, and Robin had yet to find a way to calm her down.

“No, not you! I want Steve to braid my hair” Lizzie said, pouting, as the twirled a blond strand of hair with her fingers.

“I- I don’t know how to do that” stammered Steve, surprised at the unexpected demand. 

“It’s fine, I’ll teach you with Amelie” she said, grabbing the aforementioned doll before holding Steve’s hand and leading him away to her room, not before looking back and sticking her tongue out to Robin, of course.

Robin rolled her eyes at that. It was pretty clear from the get-go that Lizzie had a huge crush on Steve. It was a kid crush, but the tiny blond thought Steve and Robin were dating and she made it her mission to never let the two of them alone.

“Sooo, Richie, what do you wanna do?” She asked, even though she already knew what he wanted. “Did you bring the goods?” He whispered suspiciously, as if his sister wouldn’t know what they where doing by dinner. Still, experience had told her that following along with the kids was always the best option. It also helped to go with the flow of things, a skill that, at least according to Steve, was more than valuable when dealing with the Upside Down shit. So Robin just nodded with a grin before taking out the guitar chords book she had found at the store.

* * *

**July 1981**

* * *

She knew something was wrong when she first opened her eyes. Her room looked the same -or what she could see from her position in bed- and it didn’t seem weird in any way, but the last thing Robin remembered was the most excruciating she’d ever felt and then darkness. She thought she would wake up in a hospital, not in her room. It was only when she brought herself to a sitting position, that she noticed that this really wasn’t her room. Not the present one at least. 

The room looked like what pre-teen Robin thought was cool. Gone where her band and movie posters. In their places stood her magna board, her Sabrina the teenage witch poster, her old Nerf ball she could even see her old  _ Star Wars _ toys she sold christmas of 1984. What was even more confusing was the fact that she was 99.9% sure that the weight in her chest was Marie, her old english cocker spaniel that died in april, 1982. 

Robin had no idea how the fuck she got there, but she knew she wasn’t in 1985 anymore. As Marie looked up and licked her chin -and god did she miss that dog, seeing her alive, with the little white hairs on her chin she gained with age, made her smile for a few seconds- and she absentmindedly petted the soft brown fur on Marie, Robin let the first tears fall as she started to freak the fuck out.

* * *

**June 1982**

* * *

Here she was, standing on the door of arguably the biggest house at Hawkins -not counting the few politicians that lived here. 

It was big and intimidating, closer to the forest than to the rest of the town. Robin tried to will the thought of stern Mr Harrington or snobbish Mrs Harrington. She didn’t actually know how they looked like, however she knew Mr Harrington was harsh. Letting your kid who has never worked before in his life out in the world without any guidance didn’t seem like stellar parenting in her opinion.

Still, she took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell. Immediately a dog’s exited barks could be heard. That certainly wasn’t the sound Robin first expected when she came here, Steve had never talked about having a dog, but then again, they weren’t particularly close until the last few days of their working career so maybe it just didn’t come up, or maybe it was a situation like Marie, and god did it hurt losing her again. Still, Robin had made sure the last year was the best her old dog could have, and somehow managed to keep her alive up to May, until old age caught up with her. Whatever the reason was, there was definitely a very exited door making his way towards the door. 

‘’Butterscotch- wait you beast I can’t- I can’t open the door if you’re jumping at it so much!’’ and there was definitely a very frustrated Steve trying to pry said excited dog out of the door.

The door opened to reveal a disheveled Steve, holding the collar of a big, fluffy white dog. The dog was looking at her with a happy expression, it almost seemed like he was smiling at her. Still Robin had appearances to keep, so she just raised her eyebrow, gave Steve a look and asked ‘’Butterscotch? Really?’’.

‘’Yeah, U.S.S. Butterscotch is his full name,’’ Steve said, still holding the dog, ‘’although he only responds to Butterscotch. You’re not allergic to dogs are you?’’ 

  
‘’I actually am Harrington. Why didn’t you warn me there was going to be a dog?’’ Robin asked, the words sounding a bit nasal because of the hand covering her nose and mouth. She looked as Steve’s face filled with panic for a few seconds, before she couldn't hold the laughter. ‘’I’m kidding! I’m  _ kidding _ , dingus! Man you should've seen your face!’’ she laughed. ‘’I don’t have any problem with dogs Steve,’’ she said, calling him by his name for perhaps the first time since they found each other again ‘’Come on, let’s get inside so you don’t have to keep holding him’’

* * *

**August 1982**

* * *

Robin eyed Steve from the corner of her eye as he shifted nervously in front of the door. They had only been at the babysitting business for around two months when they received the call. Even though this was part of the plan -a plan Steve had quickly made, that was only a bunch of steps with no way to get there,  _ god _ was he lucky to have her- it seemed like Steve hadn’t actually prepared himself to meet any of the kids. She got it, she felt the same way with her girl friends -they were still themselves but they weren’t the people Robin remembered- and to a lesser extent with her parents -who acted almost the same as before. 

Meeting Henderson would be an experience, that’s for sure. If she wasn’t mistaken, he should be around ten or eleven and she didn’t know enough about him to know how’d he act. Honestly the things she knew weren't enough to guess how he would act even in the future -or present? God did she feel like Michael J. Fox in that movie she watched a year ago with Steve. And boy wasn’t that a weird thought, the fact that she only knew -like really knew- Harrington for a few weeks, a  _ year _ ago. 

Robin shook her head, trying to stay on track, as she rang the doorbell. Steve’s head quickly whipped towards her, the most betrayed expression she had  _ seen _ laid in his face. Biting down a chuckle she punched his arm - _ softly _ , no matter what his indignant squak said- and gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. She thought of saying something, but just as she was about to open her mouth the door opened.

  
  


‘’Hi! You must be Robin and Steve!’’ exclaimed the woman at the door. ‘’Aaand you must be Claudia Henderson!’’ Robin greeted with a winning smile. She had been the one who talked to the woman when she had called them -and wow did putting a couple of flyers and a newspaper ad help their business grow- so she recognised her voice. ‘’Yep! That’s me! Here, come in!’’ she said. 

‘’I thought only one of you would come, seeing as it’s only one child you have to babysit’’ Claudia said, her smile still present but the word sounding a bit confused. ‘’Yeah that’s usually what he do’’ responded Steve ‘’However when we have a new client we both go, since we don’t know if we’ll have a difficult kid, or which one of us the kid will like the most’’ he finished, nodding with his words. ‘’Don’t worry though!’’ started Robin ‘’We charge for the amount of kids and the time we stay, not the amount of babysitters, so the cost we negotiated should stay the same.’’ at this Claudia smiled, ‘’Oh, of course that makes sense. Well here you go’’ she said, handling Robin some cash, ‘’I’ll give you the other half when I come back, of course’’ she exclaimed,with the same happy tone she had before. 

‘’I usually leave Dustin alone in the summer mornings, but I don’t want to do it at night you see, and I have a double shift today, so I’m very glad I found out about you too,and that you have so many negotiable hours!’’ as Claudia talked, she seemed to be putting on her coat and finding her purse, getting ready to leave, ‘’I gave you a little extra for pizza money, make sure he is in bed at nine, love you Dusty! Make sure to feed Mews!’’ and with that Claudia was gone, and all that remained were the two teenagers, a kid, a cat and a turtle. 

* * *

**June 1982**

* * *

Robin settled in Steve’s bed, the fluffy dog -Butterscotch, his name was- jumped next to her, looking at her expectantly until she started petting him. Harrington, Steve, God she didn’t know what to call him anymore, came after her, sitting on the other edge of the bed and patting Butterscotch’s back a few times before looking at her expectantly. 

There was some tension in the air that wasn’t there before. Last time she saw him she was just so  _ relieved _ to have someone else with her, someone to prove that she wasn’t going crazy, that she didn’t really think much about anything. She just basked in the comfort of having someone who  _ understood _ and boy maybe it was kind of shitty to get so close to a boy who, last she knew at least, had a crush on her, but still. Every second back then was comfortable, it was soft and warm and full of relief. But now it was awkward, as if neither of them knew where they stood with each other, and Robin hated it. 

‘’Nice duvet’’ she said, and as if the words were magic, the tension seemed to evaporate. Sure the awkwardness remained, however her words seemed to remind Steve that even without this-  _ time-travel _ or whatever it was, the last time they saw each other, back at the mall, after escaping the Russians and fighting the horrible horrible  _ flesh monster _ they had come to an understanding, they were  _ friends _ . 

‘’Yeah, well I am a 15 year old boy, what can I say’’ Responded Steve, shrugging as he spoke. ‘’Look, Robin, you’re much more smarter than me and uh I honestly have no clue on how we got here so, any ideas?’’ he asked. He seemed shy in a way, as if he was afraid he disappointed her by not knowing what the fuck was going on, and, well, she won’t  _ lie _ and say she wasn’t a little dissapointed, not because  _ Steve _ didn’t know per se, but more because no one did and after figuring out she wasn’t alone he seemed to be her best bet. Still, she didn’t tell him that, but something in her face most show because he slumped his shoulders and sighed, looking down at Butterscotch’s wagging tail.

‘’Harrington,  _ Steve _ , look it will be fine, we’ll figure it out’’ she tried to console him ‘’let’s just, let’s just brainstorm, tell me your theories, I’ll tell you mine and we’ll just figure it out from there.’’ 

But even though they swapped theories and ideas for around an hour, they were still not closer to getting an answer. 

The theory they both thought had the most weight to it (or, more like the theory they both thought seemed the least improbable, even if it sounded like nonsense) was one Steve had thought of surprisingly. It really wasn’t a theory per se, more like a thought. As far as they knew only Steve and her had time-traveled, and the only thing they really had in common was that they both had whatever it was the Russians injected them in their bodies, the fact that they both had adrenaline pumping through their bodies and their proximity to the big fleshy monster from the Upside Down -the mention of which made her take a half an hour break for ‘Story Time with Stevie’ in which Harrington tried to explain all the  _ crazy _ supernatural shit he and his nerd friends had apparently been through- and that maybe, the combination of those variables plus -what they where guessing was- the Gate closing when the  _ Mind Flayer _ -and boy was Robin not ready for those names, though this one she had heard back in 85- fell and died. 

Her internal monologue was interrupted by Steve, who was stretching as he talked to her ‘’Do you want to make cookies?’’ and Robin didn’t really expect that to come out of his mouth. ‘’What?’’she asked, because the last conversation they had was about Hargrove and the monster dying and this seemed like a really sudden change.

‘’It’s just- this conversation is getting depressing, I’m hungry and I have my nana’s cookbook and the necessary ingredients in the kitchen’’ he shrugged, and it made Robin remember when he was telling his stupid monster story, and she asked him how he dealt with all that shit, and all he responded with was ‘you learn to roll with it. You can think about it later but you have no time to think when it happens, so you go with the flow, the universe is too big to control or whatever the buhhdist say’ and she was pretty sure he was talking about Taoism, but she understood. So Robin just shrugged and said ‘’You know what? I’d kill for some cookies’’ and that was it.

* * *

Up on my side, where it is felt

I pack a little pistol on my pistol belt

I think it might be fear

Of the world and the way it makes you feel afraid

-Mother Mother, Little Pistol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys I'm just amazed at the positive response this has gotten!! Thank you all so much for your kind comments! I'll probably respond to the ones I haven't yet this week but school and a cute kitten I'm taking care of are time consuming haha.
> 
> Uh this chapter had one more dog than what I originally planned, but Dustin!! We're getting there guys! Honestly I have no idea if the next chapter should be Robin's pov or Steve's. Btw I'm not really sure if I have a good grasp on their characters so if anyone wants to talk about that then hmu on tumblr or smth!
> 
> I have a plan for this story but there's also a lot of blank spots I make up as I go so if you have any suggestions feel free to let me know!! I'm usually on tumblr ( changed it so it's Spicy-Cannoli now, finally it's spelt right lmao) so feel free to talk to me there! 
> 
> Once again this wouldn't be possible without the lovely QueenMissFit!


	4. Back in School - Back in Chains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obligatory filler chapter

* * *

**September 1982** ****

* * *

Compared to the last two summers she had, the summer of ‘82 was probably her best. Sure, she ended up working in summer  _ again _ , and her dog died. Again. But this time she didn’t have  _ evil Russians  _ (and no, she still wasn’t over that)  _ torturing _ her and her (now) best friend. Or the sudden realization that either she was stuck four years in the past, or she had finally gone mad. No, instead all she did was babysit a few brats, act like she was a fourteen year old and hang out with her best friend and his cute fluffy dog.

Still. The (second) summer of 82 was probably the best summer she had, which made the fact that it ended so much worse. 

It’s not that she didn’t want to move on; getting to an age in which dating wasn’t creepy (even if she’d probably never find anyone to date on day and age) meet new people and graduate school. It was just that she had agreed to help Steve with his crazy monster-fighting plan, and it all started in a year’s time and she just  _ wasn’t ready yet _ . 

But Robin knew the world wasn’t particularly forgiving, she knew she had to make the best out of this chance she had been given and if that meant facing highschool again, then _So. Be._ _It._

So Robin took a deep breath, held her chin high and got in the building with  _ style _ . The fact that she was going to be surrounded by a bunch of losers that don’t really know themselves, didn’t mean she was going to act like one too. Robin knew what she liked, knew who she was, and even if she still hadn’t made something of herself, she knew damn well how to dress the way she liked. So Robin walked through the halls, with her high-waisted Levi’s edges rolled up,  [ red tank ](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/d5/0d/f0/d50df0ff21efc6826ae389d54dec9585.jpg) top and a big jean jacket she’d stolen from Steve that would make people  _ talk _ . 

They obviously recognised the jacket (it might pass as hers if it wasn’t for the various pins Steve had decided to put on it) and the fact she was wearing it with confidence, the stride in her steps, the look on her face, they all knew she knew they knew and they knew she didn’t mind.

She gave a right turn and saw the face that stole all the stress she had away. Surrounding him were some assholes she barely remembered and a  _ wow-was-she-pretty _ redhead. And even if Robin wanted to maintain her cool image (sure school reputation wasn’t everything but she  _ liked _ the looks she was getting from the other freshmen and some sophomores) she couldn’t help the fond tone her voice had, as she called him.

‘’Hey, dingus’’

* * *

April 1981

* * *

Her mother gave her a look as she pushed her forward. Ahead, a man held the door open with a friendly smile on his face, but Robin  _ wasn’t ready yet _ .

But the world had never waited till she was ready. It hadn’t waited when her grandmother died, it hadn’t waited when Victoria bullied her because she was  _ weird _ and  _ creepy _ . The world hadn’t waited for her to be ready when it trapped her in a Russian elevator from hell and had strapped her to a chair. It hadn’t warned her when a flesh monster tried to kill her and Steve's stupid sons and daughters, and it hadn’t waited before throwing her right back to the past so it probably wouldn’t wait till she was ready to get into the psychologist's office. 

So Robin swallowed down her nerves and steeled herself as she walked into the room, not before sending her mother a glare of course. 

It’s not that she didn’t think going to a psychologist was a good idea, it was jus- yeah no it was exactly that. There was no way she could tell him  _ anything _ without sounding absolutely crazy. Hell, she didn’t even know if she wasn’t crazy yet! But even if she wasn’t he would sure think so if she told him what she had lived through without proof. 

“So, Robin, I’ll need you to answer some questions before we begin,” he said, passing her a clipboard with some questions. They were all around a sentence long, and had multiple choices and _ oh wow maybe she did need to come here _ she thought as she ticked the ‘Very Often’ box six times in a row. 

  
As she finished, she gave the psychotherapist the clipboard and walked to his office with aprehensión, and she  _ really wasn’t ready for this mom help-  _ and the door shut closed.

* * *

May 1982

* * *

“Do we really have to do this?” Whined Robin as she walked beside him, each step crunching some dried leaves. 

“Well, it’s either that or be demodog chow” Steve deadpanned. He honestly didn’t want to be here anymore than she did, the last time he was at their destination he’d been fighting for his life. Every sound that didn’t come from him -the crunches of the leaves beneath Robin’s feet, the wind as it passed through the trees, the thump his backpack gave on his bag if he leant forward- gave him goosebumps. 

‘‘Ugh, I know but I even joined track, it’s not as if we’re not way faster  _ and _ stronger than last time’’ she whined. Even after all the time they had spent together, Steve couldn’t honestly say he  _ knew  _ Robin, but one thing he  _ did _ know, was that she was more brains than brawn.

‘‘Robin, I’m like, 100% sure the only reason I survived for so long was dumb luck,’’ he said, finally stopping as they reached their destination. ‘‘Why’d we have to come through the wood though? The road is right there’’ he said, looking at his hand that was pointing said road. 

Honestly, standing there in the old junkyard at one am wasn’t his idea of a good time.

‘‘Steveee, it was you who said how much time we’ll probably end up spending in the woods’’ she responded, and wow could Steve relate to how tired her voice sounded. ‘‘Yeah but I definitely didn’t mean we should memorise the whole forest’’ he got out, hands digging through his backpack before he got out what he was looking for. 

‘‘There she is, my beautiful baby, Cyndi the II’’ he swung the bat a couple of times, before giving her to Robin. ‘‘I really can’t believe’’ she said as Steve looked around the junkyard for some scraps of metal, ‘‘that you named this bat after your first one and that you named your  _ first _ one in the first place!’’ a laugh escaped her lips as she tested the bad herself. 

She looked up and narrowed her eyes at Steve. ‘‘You sure you won’t hit me with that?’’ she asked suspiciously. ‘‘Yeah, it’s just a scrap of metal. I’ll be slow too, and if I hit you too hard you can just get revenge when it’s my turn’’ he shrugged, before straightening his posture and throwing the metal at her. 

Robin barely had time to react, Cyndi II just barley scratching the metal before it hit her leg. ‘‘Hey! That’s cheating you asshole!’’ she exclaimed, ‘‘If I get tetanus from this I’m suing your ass’’ she muttered. 

‘‘Yeah? Well, demodogs won’t wait for you to be ready!’’ he said with a laugh, finding his next makeshift projectile -an old windshield cleaner- and throwing it at her with a laugh.

* * *

September 1982

* * *

Robin has only been in this school for a week, yet already kids knew her name. The most important part, however, was to be herself, that was something she’d never change. 

Sure, she hung out with Steve and his assholes at school, but she still joined the school band, and she still was in advanced classes. Steve seemed to take his role as her fake boyfriend very serious, so he made sure to get everyone hyped up when she had a band thing. And yes, she did mean band ‘thing’, once he managed to get the entire basketball team to watch her practice and boy was that embarrassing.

Still, the fact she dressed ahead of her time (or rather, like people did in other states, Hawkins had always been behind in fashion) and had a cute jock boyfriend made sure she caught the other students’ attention. What made sure the way they saw her was positive, however, was her lack of care for how they viewed her.

Sure, she was thriving over the attention a little, but she was used to being unpopular and honestly? She didn’t really care what some fourteen-year-olds thought of her. 

She acted like a senior, and after a few missteps -a girl who thought telling Robin how ‘shaky’ her relationship with Steve was would affect her, among others- and Robin just looking at the offenders incredulously, the other freshmen and sophomores ended up subconsciously treating her like one. 

Self-reflection of her social standing aside, Robin was hungry, so head held high, she strutted her way towards Steve and his band of merry jocks and sat directly in his lap. 

“What’s for lunch  _ honey _ ?” She asked, and yes, Steve and her might have been having a bit too much fun with the whole fake-relationship thing, but damn if everyone didn’t eat it up.

Steve smiles at her, “I made us sandwiches since I know you don’t like meatballs” 

And God if Robin didn’t have the whole, you know,  _ lesbian thing,  _ then she would’ve definitively love to replicate Steve’s feelings,  _ which yeah, she still knew he had, _ he really was the perfect boyfriend, thoughtful, fun, usually let her make decisions but was never shy to put in his two cents, and always up for cuddling. Really, she complained once about not liking the school’s meatballs and he went up and made her food. 

Robin made sure to give him a real smile, before leaning slightly and kissing his cheek. “Thanks babe” she said, hoping her real sincerity was able to come through. Judging by his answering smile, she guessed it did. 

  
  


* * *

November 1982

* * *

Robin really should think before she spoke. She just offhandedly mentioned that her boyfriend was going to be alone on Christmas -and really, she knew it was going to get her mothers pity, but all she wanted was some cash to get him a better present- but now her mother had decided Steve was staying with them on Christmas Eve. 

And really, it’s not that she didn’t want Steve to spend time with her parents -he had them absolutely charmed already- but just having him around with all of her uncles and cousins, and having to lie to her whole family for more than a few hours it just didn’t excite her. 

But when her mother had an idea, nothing could stop her. She tried to convince her Steve had a dog to look at, but her mother just told her Butterscotch was welcome too, since they were used to celebrating with Marie anyways. Not even mentioning the size of the giant marshmallow of a dog could convince her.

So it was with great dread, Robin picked up the phone and called Steve’s house, hoping he had some random excuse up his sleeve. 

* * *

24th of December, 1982

* * *

“I like the Christmas decorations,” Steve said while looking around the house. Robin marvelled at his ability to look completely at peace while also holding a harnessed Butterscotch who was excited to smell everything. After trying to take him on a walk a couple of times, Robin knew how hard he could pull -hard enough to make her lose her balance various times. Yet the only thing showing he was holding the big fluffy dog back, was the tenseness on his hand and - were those veins?

Shaking the thoughts out of her head, Robin went to introduce Steve to everyone. Her immediate family already knew him, as he had stayed for dinner repeatedly, but her uncles, aunts and cousins didn’t. 

Steve played the role of dutiful boyfriend well, not even eyeing her cousin Vanessa, who always came wearing less than she should, up. Really, Robin would be surprised Steve didn’t hook up with anyone since they started their agreement if it weren’t for the fact she’d seen him wake up from a nightmare before, but she digressed. 

Her best friend went around greeting everyone, always aware of his dog. When he reached her younger cousins, he loosened his hold on Butterscotch’s leash, so they could pet him as much as they wanted. When he greeted her aunt Ivonne -who while not afraid of dogs, never wanted them near them- he made sure to angle his body so that Butterscotch wouldn’t be close to her. 

Steve was stupidly thoughtful at times, and his weird need for validation made him the perfect boyfriend in her parents’ eyes. As dinner started, he made sure to aport to the conversation when he could, and whenever her awful uncle Roger made a comment about her -“and here I thought she was just a dyke”- Steve was quick to defend her or just stare at him with the most judgmental look he could muster. Somehow his incredulous looks made his cousins want to defend her, perhaps not wanting to have their family look bad. 

* * *

All in all, the dinner wasn’t as disastrous as she thought it’d be, and after eating the various desserts everyone brought, she and Steve were excused to go take care of Butterscotch, as the fireworks would start soon. So they both got up and sat in her bed, Butterscotch on the bed between them. 

“Thanks for defending me back there,” she told him as she petted Butterscotch’s head. 

“They were being unnecessarily rude” he shrugged. 

“It was still a nice thing to do”

Although it fell a bit awkward to be sitting there, both facing the wall with Butterscotch between them -Butterscotch who, by the way, was acting surprisingly calm for a dog that wasn’t used to being around a large number of people for so long- Robin felt like she didn’t want to move. She saw Steve shift, hand going deep into his pockets -and how was it he was actually taking his time to retrieve whatever it was while she couldn’t fit her wallet on  _ her _ pockets- before he took out a white jewellery box and offering it to her. 

As she opened it she saw a beautiful golden  [ ring ](https://farkasovskadesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Moon-ring-on-wood-2-Edit.jpg) with a tiny pearl being surrounded by a crescent moon. ‘‘Uh- wow dingus, you’re not asking me to marry you are you?’’ she joked around, trying to alleviate the awkwardness such an expensive looking gift gave here. 

‘‘Um- no, it’s just- I might’ve taken your pinkie finger measurements last time you stayed at my house and- well, I thought this might help you, you know, find someone?’’ he said awkwardly. 

‘‘You- you really? I just- thank you, Steve’’ she said, not looking directly at him. She put the ring in her right pinkie and stared at it for a few seconds, before standing up. ‘‘I got you something too’’ she said softly, standing in front of her bookshelf and browsing through her records. She took one out; it was brand new, unopened plastic surrounding it, and it said in a cursive letter ‘In The Hollies Style’. ‘‘I know you like them so here’’ she said, giving the album to him, ‘‘Robin..’’ he started but before he could finish, she was quick to interrupt him. ‘‘Don’t you dare say ‘you didn’t have to’! You got me an expensive and thoughtful gift, it’s the least I could do!’’ 

‘‘I was going to say thank you’’ he said unconvincingly, at which she just raised an eyebrow. ‘‘Anyways, it’s the Canadian version so it has the song  _ We’re Through _ so if you ever see Wheeler again you know what to do’’ she said with a smile, and maybe, even though she felt alone and stuck, everything was going to be alright. 

* * *

  
  


I wanna get it

But I got bad brains

I'm what they like to call a special case

I am a coal mine in a classroom

I got detention cause I made a face

Nobody believed me that it's stuck that way

I am a stoner in the bathroom

-Mother Mother, Back in School

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heeeey, im really sorry for the long wait. I was really out of it and busy with school and stuff, and then I rewatched The Umbrella Academy for the 4th time and it was all I could think about. Ngl it still is, but all the comments y'all have left, and QueenMisfit, in general, got me back on track lol.
> 
> Also, the bit in the junkyard is in Steve's pov because it was a scene for a later chapter but I decided to stick it in there, sorry if that's confusing, I just wanted to get this out. That's part of the reason there's barley any flashback scenes here. Hopefully, it's still ok. I'm gonna try to make them scenes longer next chapie.


	5. Happy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not much Steve&Robin interaction here, but there is some gay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So like, I see everyone using Beemer and Beamer to refer to Steve’s car, but the correct term for BMW cars is Bimmer, while Beemer and Beamer are used when referring to BMW motorcycles. Also, no, I did not know this before today.
> 
> (Also this chapter is a little different, it focuses on two stories instead of various like the other ones, hopefully that's ok? There was going to be more but the scenes got really long and I had to cut it short lol)

* * *

December 31, 1982

* * *

Steve was having a blast. 

It felt like it was the first time in a long while he actually felt comfortable in his body. Figures he’d have to be high as a kite first. 

Still, Steve was having more fun than he’d had in years, dancing with strangers to Duran Duran’s ‘‘Hungry Like the Wolf’’, and hey! There was Ronnie again. And to think if it weren't for Robin he wouldn’t be there. 

So, how did he get ‘there’? Well, it all started when Robin suggested they should spend New Year’s Eve in Indianapolis. She said there was a bar she knew of there that she’d never been able to go to the first time around, and  _ please Steve, just do this one thing for me, aren’t we best friends?  _ And damn her and her puppy eyes, Steve just couldn’t say no. So they told her family they were spending NYE with Steve’s family, packed their bags, got into his trusty Bimmer and sailed- well drove away to a hotel Robin swore she knew the location of. (she didn’t) 

Of course, it was only when they were standing in front of the bar that they remembered the fact that their bodies were 16 and 14 respectively. And sure, Robin’s makeup and heels might give her a year or two, but they still looked like kids, and the bouncer wouldn’t let them in unless they were at least 18, nevermind letting them drink. 

‘‘Fuck’’ muttered Steve with annoyance. It was such a stupid mistake to make, forgetting their ages. It wasn’t like Steve forgot how old his body was, he just forgot that this body couldn’t get into bars. He looked at the bar logo one more time before turning to Robin. ‘‘Look, Robin, I’m sorry this idea was a bust but, I’m sure there’s something we could… you’re not even paying attention to me are you’’ but the blue-eyed girl just held her hand up in a ‘stop’ motion, before continuing her talk with the young woman with dyed hair, who Steve hadn’t even known was there. 

‘‘So you go right after the public library, and there you are!’’ she said with a smile, twirling a strand of blue hair in her finger. ‘‘If you want any of the good stuff, ask for Ronnie. He has short blond hair, freckles, smells like weed, can’t miss him’’ she finished, winking at Robin before entering the bar.

‘‘What- what was that?’’ he asked. Because even though he only caught the end of the conversation, it sounded like they just were invited to a party by a woman they didn’t know.

‘‘We just were invited by a party by a woman we don’t know, do try to keep up’’ 

* * *

1981

* * *

‘‘Steve, Sweatheart! Can you please stop moping and help your father and I with the bags?’’

Steve sighed for the fifth time and went down the stair to help his mother. He thought having years of experience on being home alone would make this easier, but here he was, dreading the moment his parents left him alone like a little kid. Which seemed appropriate, seeing as he was in the body of one. 

His mother looked up as he entered the room and smiled in one of those exasperated smiles of hers. ‘‘ _ Thank you _ ’’ she said, before continuing, ‘‘Look, Stevie, I know you don’t like being alone, but you know your father and I need-’’ ‘‘Can I get a dog?’’ ‘‘to go to this- I’m sorry, what?’’ 

‘‘A dog. I’m alone all the time and I have nothing to do, a dog would solve both of those problems!’’ he said, then, looking at his fathers face he hastily added, ‘‘Plus, it could teach me responsibility, having to take care of something! The money for it can come from my allowance too! Maybe I can learn to manage money with this.’’ and honestly, when Steve had thought of the idea he thought it’d stay like that, an idea, but his parents hadn’t outright said no, and they looked like they were thinking on it. 

‘‘I’ll consider it.’’ his father said, tone business-like, as always.’’Now go help your mother get her bags in the car.’’

.

When a week later, his father called telling him the idea was acceptable, Steve smiled for the first time since coming back. 

* * *

December 31, 1982

* * *

  
  
  


They arrived at the party sometime around ten. When Robin told the person at the door it was Jade -as that apparently was the blue-haired girl’s name- who sent them, they were welcomed with open arms. 

The heat of the bodies, the loud music, the stench of cigarettes and beer, it was all familiar to Steve. His body seemed to remember it too, as almost immediately he started to match his steps to the music, swaying his hips a little, and he could feel his ‘King Steve’ smile on his face. 

He looked at Robin, silently asking if they were going to stay together, but apparently Robin had no idea either as she just shrugged. ‘‘I’m going to go get some beer!’’ she screamed, trying to be heard over the music. ‘‘You want some?!’’ Steve shook his head. ‘‘Nah! I’m going to see if I can find Ronnie!’’ he yelled. They nodded their goodbye and went through separate paths. 

Steve made his way through the small sea of people, as he tried to find someone that matched the description Jade had given them. Whiled he looked he started to feel the music. The familiar ambient already getting him nostalgic. Soon enough he found the man himself. He was wearing a leather jacket, no shirt underneath and hey that reminded him of someone- oh right.

Ronnie -or, well possible Ronnie candidate- was leaning against a wall, half-lidded eyes focused on the cute black haired girl with bangs he was talking to, cigarette in hand. When he caught sight of Steve, however, his whole demeanour changed. He gave Steve a smirk he’d never seen directed at him before. The kind of smirk that promised some sort of pleasure if you stayed close and Steve couldn’t help the blush that rose to his cheeks. Maybe it was a dealer thing? His dealer back home never smirked at him like that, but then again, his dealer was an asshole. 

Mentally shaking the thoughts out of his head, he approached the blond -who looked younger than he thought up-close, maybe 20?- and gave him the King Steve smile he hadn’t used much since he got back. 

‘‘Hey man, are you Ronnie?!’’ he said, trying to be heard over the loud music. At that, his smirk widened ‘‘Yeah  _ man _ !’’ he said, and did Steve imagine it or was there a weird intonation on the way he said ‘man’? Was he mocking him? Before he could give it more thought Ronnie continued, ‘‘Why, you looking for me?!’’ 

‘‘Uh- yeah. Jade said you have some good stuff?!’’ why did he have to end it like a question? Damn you, Steve. He wasn’t so sure why he wanted to give a good impression to him, but he did. 

‘‘Sure thing darling, I have some stuff that will make the  _ celling _ interesting!’’ he said, getting closer to Steve so he won’t have to scream. ‘‘You know what? I usually ask for cash, but you’re pretty cute so I’ll give you a cig for free’’ he smiled, ‘‘Just one though, if you end up  _ craving _ it, you’ll have to come back for  _ more _ cash in hand’’ and wow that was just a simple sentence but the way he enunciated somehow made it sound dirty. If Steve were a chick he’d probably be into him, even though he knew that giving the first try free was a way to get new clients. 

‘‘Um- yeah I’d, I’d really appreciate it, man!’’ he stammered and, God, what was it with him and stammering today? 

He took the cig and lit it up with his lighter, and immediately after the first blow, he felt calmer. It wasn’t that it had hit him yet, no weed, no matter how good, acts that fast. It was just the motion of smoking that calmed his nerves. He hadn’t really noticed when he first got back, but he’d been graving something to smoke for a while now. Man, to think the last time he smoked he was around three years older, he had to snort at that. 

Steve gave Ronnie a smile and went back to the mumble of bodies dancing.

By the time the weed started to hit him, everyone was near the tv, waiting for the countdown to start and the ball to drop. He joined them with a laugh, everything feeling  _ right _ . He’d been hoping to find Robin to watch the ball drop together, but he could see her on the sofa near the tv, arm around a cute brunette, so he let her be. ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’ by Duran Duran was playing, and he danced with all these strangers, eyes on the tv, and hey! There was Ronnie again. 

‘‘Here I am!’’ Ronnie laughed and oh- did he say that out loud? ‘‘That you did man,’’ he said, and for some reason that seemed like the funniest shit Steve had heard in months. He started laughing, and so did the blond, and they laughed hysterically until a loud ‘‘ **THIRTY!** ’’ could be heard. Everyone started counting down, and the woman on his right put an arm around his shoulder with a smile. He looked at his right and sure enough, it seemed like everyone had an arm around each other, so with a grin in his face, he put an arm around Ronnie’s waist. 

‘‘ **TWENTY!** ’’

Everyone was smiling and laughing as they counted down, everyone seemed so happy, drunk or high or both. 

‘‘ **FOURTEEN!** ’’

‘‘ **TWELVE!** ’’

‘‘ **EIGHT!** ’’ 

Steve looked at Ronnie on his left and leaned slightly closer. He was close enough to feel the older man’s breath on his face.

‘‘ **FIVE!** ’’

Close enough to see all the freckles on his face. He started counting them but lost count somewhere near twenty.

‘‘ **FOUR!** ’’

He didn’t know who leaned closer first, but the space beneath them was rapidly narrowing.

‘‘ **THREE!** ’’

On the side of his eye, he could see the tv, see everyone on New York waiting for the ball to drop. He found out he didn’t really care about it.

‘‘ **TWO!** ’’

Ronnie gave him a mischievous grin. ‘‘Happy new year’’ he said, before leaning closer. His bright blue eyes where the last thing he saw before he closed his eyes and Steve’s lips met his. 

‘‘ **ONE! HAPPY NEW YEAR!** ’’

* * *

1981

* * *

Today was probably the most important day in Steve’s life. 

He could hardly contain his nerves as he walked towards Mr Hargreeves’ house. He had seen pictures of the adults of the breed, but he had never seen a Samoyed puppy before. The books about dog breeds he had read had mostly a single drawing per breed, so he had only a vague idea of how they looked. 

The reason he ended up going for a Samoyed was simple. They could live in colder climates, where friendly, and could go on hikes with him. They also required a lot of grooming, which while some might think of as a downside, to Steve it was a definite plus. Brushing his hair was as calming as smoking for him. He could hardly wait. 

And it seemed like he wouldn’t have to wait for much longer, seeing as he had just arrived to Mr Hamilton’s house. He could hardly keep the grin off his face as he rang the doorbell, even if he was back in his nineteen-year-old body he’d be hard-pressed not to smile. 

The door opened and Mr Hargreeves, AKC registered breeder and owner of his future family member stood there with a smile. ‘‘Hey Steve, you make it alright?’’ He asked, before looking behind him in confusion.  _ Here it comes _ thought Steve, and just like clockwork, the Asian man opened his mouth and ‘‘Your parents aren’t here with you?’’ 

Steve smiled, not a real smile like before, but the smile he used in situations like this, the calm if a bit sheepish smile that always bought the ladies at the supermarket who always asked about his parents when he was buying the groceries. It was a practised smile, one that he had since he was young, one he thought he’d finally stop using when he turned eighteen. See how well that turned out. 

‘‘They had a business meeting Mr Hargreeves’’ he lied, ‘‘They gave me the money though, this is enough right?’’ he asked, taking out the cash from his pockets. And that was usually enough to get others to drop the subject. Mr Hargreeves however, seemed to know something wasn’t right. He didn’t say anything about it, but Steve could see how the way he saw him changed. It wasn’t pity per se, just- understanding? 

Mr Hargreeves opinion on his home life, however, wasn’t what he came here for. No, he came here for his new family member, and the thought of not being alone for the first time this month filled him with excitement. Mr Hargreeves chuckled, probably seeing the visible excitement in Steve, and start walking. ‘‘Follow me,’’ he said. ‘‘The puppies are over here’’ he opened a door. 

What laid behind could only be described with one word. 

Heaven.

There was something that looked like a playing pen without the floor, and inside that where eight little balls of fluff. Steve wasn’t even embarrassed about the high pitched noise he made, anyone in his position would’ve done the same. Really, anyone. Even Billy Hargrove. 

Mr Hargreeves only chuckled at him, but he looked unsurprised, which only reassured Steve on the fact that his reaction was totally normal. ‘‘My brother always gets like that when he sees them too’’ he said smiling. ‘‘You should spend some time with them, see which one you like and which one likes you’’ 

‘‘Yeah! Of course’’ Steve really couldn’t stop smiling and you could hear it in his voice. Steve tried his best to get into the pen as dignified as possible, but judging by the stifled giggle Mr Hargreeves brother gave -and when did  _ he _ get here?- he’d assume he wasn’t as successful as he thought. 

There was no time to care about the two hot dog breeders thought of him though, because Steve was in the pen, all the puppies seemed to want to meet him. 

He ended up spending around half an hour just playing with the puppies before he got tired and laid down. Mr Hargreeves had said as long as he finished by five, he wouldn’t mind having him here, and Steve was taking advantage of it. He had left around five minutes ago, but his brother was keeping Steve company, watching amusedly as he played with the puppies. 

The puppies eventually left to play by themselves, all too excited to sit still, but one remained. The little dog curled himself on Steve and gave the cutest little huff. 

‘‘This is the one!’’ he exclaimed, startling both the puppy and Mr Hargreeves’ brother. Who also was Mr Hargreeves, but he seemed so casual compared to Mr Hargreeves he just couldn’t imagine calling him that. 

‘‘You chose one already? So soon?’’ He joked while getting the papers Steve needed. ‘‘Well,’’ Steve started, ‘‘your brother  _ did _ say as long as I was done before five o’clock I could take my time’’ Steve grinned and not-Mr Hargreeves rolled his eyes. 

‘‘Well,’’ He said, ‘‘Everything’s set and ready to go. Just gotta name him.’’

‘‘Hmm,’’ Steve thought. Part of him wanted to name him Marshmallow, but he was sure at least two of his siblings would be receiving the same name. He wanted something original, but also something that meant something. The thought of naming him something horrible like Demogorgon came through his mind, like those intrusive thoughts you got telling you to jump off high buildings, but he didn’t give it a second thought. There was zero way he was naming this ball of sunshine after those stupid monsters from down there. As he was looking at the puppy, a thought crossed his mind. Blue eyes and freckled skin, that stupid sailor outfit,  _ Robin _ . Being near her was good, it was fun, she made him want to be a better person. 

He can’t believe he’d have to start all over. He was definitely going to befriend her again but, the thought of her just knowing him as Steve, not knowing all the hell they went through together, the literal  _ torture _ made his heart, ache. 

A little whine brought him back to the present, it seemed like the puppy was getting impatient about being nameless. He considered naming him Robin but quickly shook his head. He wanted a name that meant something, not to actually replace someone. Then he remembered a moment when he had been brave when he might’ve been scared out of his wits but he still soldiered on. He remembered getting out of that Russian base, the fresh air, his mind just wanting some-

‘‘USS Butterscotch’’ he said, tone sombre. ‘‘Or Butterscotch, for short’’

* * *

January 1, 1983

* * *

  
  


Steve rose to consciousness slowly. He didn’t remember falling asleep, but he was far too comfortable to care. There was a cool breeze, but the blanket and the body holding him kept him warm. 

Body holding him huh. Steve couldn’t remember the last time he was held like this. He was always the one holding the other in his relationships, and while he and Robin embarked on platonic cuddling every now and then, usually Butterscotch laid between them. 

He pushed closer to the body, the other’s hands tightening their hold on him. He could feel the other person waking up, beard? scratching against his shoulders and- 

Wait.

Beard? 

Suddenly, memories of last night came back to him. The party, the smoking, Ronnie, the countdown, kissing, Ronnie, making out till they fell asleep,  _ Ronnie.  _

‘‘Shit’’

* * *

Ask me if I’m happy

I don’t care

Maybe I’d be happy if you disappeared

Maybe I’d be happy if you give me drugs

Drugs can make a fuck last all night long

'Cuz nothing makes me happy about getting off

Reaching for the saddest little cloth

Reaching for the water on the sill

Water with the saddest little film

Ask me if I’m happy

What does it mean?

I’ll tell you that I am if you tell me I’m dreaming

To wake up in a place I’ve never been

Wake up to a face I’ve never seen

Wake up with the purest sense of being

Yeah to wake up to a woman that isn’t screaming

-Mother Mother, Happy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so I have a couple of things to say.
> 
> First things first, please don't expect for me to update this quickly, you'll be disappointed. Idk how I wrote all of this in a day but I did.
> 
> Also! Do the characters seem ooc? I haven't watched Stranger Things since like, the month s3 came out so I might be a bit rusty.
> 
> Also Also, no, Steve and Ronnie didn't do much besides making out, also Ronnie is like 19 and he didn't know Steve was physically 16, don't give him a hard time. 
> 
> Number four, so I've decided every oc I put here that's from Hawkins is gonna have an H surname, since 80% of the characters in ST have an H surname. As I was browsing them names, I saw it. Hargreeves. Yes, those two are Ben and Klaus, they live together and breed dogs because I said so. 
> 
> btw, Ronnie? He’s based on that guy at the beginning of the Matrix that bought disks from Neo and then invited him to a bar? A threesome? Idk. His name is Choi and he has mad Klaus Hargreeves vibes, I love this background character that appeared for five seconds. 
> 
> Anyways, besides all that, thank you all for your lovely comments, they really make my day! Please feel free to tell me anything! Your thoughts, things you think I should improve, scenes you'd like to see or what you think I'm going to do with the plot of s1. I'm really curious what you think of that last one lol.


	6. Legs Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NYE party aftermath. Also some bonding. Chapter real short because,,,, just because.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh, most things I wanna say are in the endnotes so head there ig.
> 
> Also, this is unedited and unbetaed so all mistakes are my own, feel free to point them out in the comments so I can fix 'em lol. Also, this is very short, sorry.
> 
> (also to all the newcomers who commented this last few weeks, welcome! no idea why ppl started commenting now?? mid hiatus (well, not mid but) but I'm all for it lmao, here's a chapter for you.)

January 1, 1983

_ Whatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuck _

Now, Steve had nothing against queer people. After learning about Hawkins Labs, the way they treated Eleven or Jane or however she was being called back then, what they did to her mom and what they unleashed to the world? He knew just  _ how _ awful humans would be.  _ That _ was something he’d give someone shit for, or being a rapist or abusive. Liking someone of the same gender? It hurt no one, and he couldn’t blame people for having fun. 

So, no, he didn’t have anything against queer people. 

But  _ him _ being queer? That was a whole ‘nother thing. 

Steve  _ liked _ girls. He knew he did. He liked the way they smelled, their fluffy hair, their softness, and like, not to be crude but  _ tits _ man. Tits and asses where just- and yes guys could have good asses too -Billy Hargrove could be an asshole but damn did he have a nice behind. He could admit that. It was totally subjective. Steve was pretty sure the whole male population would agree that Hargrove was hot as fuck-

And,  _ ok _ maybe he wasn't as straight as he thought. But one thing was thinking it and another was-  _ doing  _ stuff! God Steve hoped he hadn’t done anything weird. He didn’t remember drinking last night, just smoking a joint, the count down and then, well, a lot of making out. 

But. It hadn’t escalated from there. They’d both fallen asleep really quickly, which was good. It meant he hadn’t actually-

“Oh, Steve,”

He looked above, and there she was. Robin looked at him with an indiscernible look on her face. Her long  _ (wrongwrongwrong) _ hair bunched up in a messy ponytail. 

“Come on, dingus. Let’s get out before he realises he bagged a minor” she said and- no. 

“We didn’t- It was just- we just made out,” he said, a pained expression on his face. Robin gave him another look, before shaking her head and pointing towards the door with her face. 

Steve slowly scrambled his body from Ronnie’s, careful not to wake him up. The man just furrowed his brow a little, before spreading out to the spot Steve was a few seconds ago. Steve put on his shirt -he had gotten hot at night- and followed Robin out. 

* * *

November 5, 1982

* * *

  
  


“Aw man,” Robin said, jumping into his bed, “God I love this bed. Rich people are so lucky” she moaned. 

Steve just rolled his eyes while trying to only feel fondness and not longing. The fact that his crush was unrequited still hurt like a bitch, but having her as a friend was  _ everything _ . He wondered if all his past friendships were just, not good, or if having survived torture and the Upside Down was necessary for this level of closeness. He never felt like this with Nancy. 

“You always get like this,” he said, petting Butterscotch absentmindedly, “I feel like you like my bed more than you like me” he whined. 

“Oh, I  _ definitely _ love your bed more than you,” she said with a smirk, before rolling her eyes at his pout. “Oh shut up, I was kidding. You got the goods?”

“Yep,” he said, popping the P. He brought the boombox out and put it on his bed, before climbing onto it and patting it so Butterscotch would follow. He then pulled a bag from behind his bed that was full of cassettes and notebooks. 

“It’s studying time… yay,” he said sarcastically. 

“Jeez, no need to get  _ that _ excited” 

“Hey, just because you like learning, doesn’t mean I do” he complained. “Anyways, let’s get to it. Давай” 

“So you  _ did _ learn something! I’m glad you’re not a lost case Steve” she said patronisingly as she put today’s cassette in and hit play. 

Contrary to what he’d told his parents (who were torn between feeling proud he was learning another language and horrified over his language of choice) he wasn’t learning Russian for fun. At this point, it was more of a necessity. Just remembering those moments on the base, everything so confusing, the soldiers talking about their fate right in front of them but being unable to understand a thing? It was awful. 

Nowadays his nightmares were very varied, from fighting the first Demogorgon to Demodogs, to the disgusting Mind Flayer. But somehow the nightmares about the soldiers horrified him the most. The beasts from the Upside Down where like animals driven by instinct, not counting whatever the fuck the Mind Flayer was, he  _ hated _ them, but they were an entirely different species he didn’t think was possible to understand. 

The Russian soldiers, on the other hand, were as human as Robin and him. They were humans, and they knew how to  _ break _ humans. They were humans and they  _ didn’t care _ . They were humans and they still would’ve killed them and his kids for information that had already been given. 

Both in his dreams and on his thoughts, he could see what would’ve happened if Dustin and Erica were just a  _ bit _ slower. If he and Robin said different things. If they’d have managed to piss them off even more. 

The Russians terrified him. And he was taking any edge he could. Because like it or not, they were probably going back there. Because no one knew what they knew. And he’d be damned if he let his shitty kids die after all they’d put him through. 

* * *

January 1, 1983

* * *

The walk towards the hotel he’d rented -where their bags were- was awkward. Steve refused to look at Robin, and Robin wasn’t saying anything. Eventually, they reached the hotel and entered their rooms. They both sat on a twin bed and stared at each other awkwardly. Steve, because he had no idea what to say, and Robin, well, he wasn’t a mind reader, but she had a look on her face that said she was thinking about something. 

After a minute or two of silence, Robin finally spoke. 

“...Steve.” 

And damn, Steve didn’t like that apprehensive tone. 

“...Yeah?”

“Was that consensual?” she asked, and the look on her face told him she thought she wouldn’t like the answer and. No. That just couldn’t go. 

“What? No! I mean yes! I- we really just made out a little! And cuddled... But I was a willing participant!” he exclaimed, gesturing with his hands. 

“Ok, ok, I get it!” she said, her face lightening up a little. “... You did realise Ronnie was a guy though, right?” 

And. Yeah. He was thinking the same thing. “I do, I just. I don’t know what’s going on Robin, I like girls, I  _ know _ I do! I mean, girls! They’re cute and their hair and tits? And when they’re smarter than me it’s so hot! And-” 

“Ooookay Tiger, I’m gonna stop you there.” Interrupted Robin, “You  _ do _ know you can like  _ both _ right?” she said and-

“What?” 

At her somehow both incredulous and pitying look, Steve hastily added, “Hey! Don’t look at me like that! It’s not like they gave this in school” 

“Not that you pay attention in class” 

“Shut up. That’s beside the point. Anyways what do you mean you can like both” he asked, question somehow sounding like a statement. 

“Just what I said,” she told him. “It’s called bisexuality Steve. You really hadn’t heard of it before?” she asked, before shaking her head. “No, of course, you haven’t. On other news, I might not be attracted to guys, but you could do  _ so _ much better” 

“What? No, I mean yes but. He wasn’t  _ ugly _ !” he said, offended look on his face. 

“Well, no but. That doesn’t mean you can do  _ so _ much better”

And even though she was teasing him, Steve could see how happy she was. And he could get it. He doesn’t think he’d be taking it so well if she didn’t know he wasn’t  _ alone _ . Not that he wouldn’t freak out about it later, but for now, he could enjoy this. 

I got lost about an hour ago

I sailed past that fork in the road

And now here I stand

A stranger in a foreign land

-Mother Mother, Legs Away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhh... it's been a while. 
> 
> Sorry for the random hiatus, I got into a really bad writer block with this story, had to hash out some plot details, and just, idk wasn't feeling it? I did mean to post this chapter earlier this week but I actually lost access to the drive account that has all my stories,,,, even the unpublished ones. Which, kinda sucked, I died inside and kept being dead until I got it back (today). (I also had a semester's worth of English hw in there,,, hw I hadn't sent,,, you can imagine my panic) 
> 
> I actually only got the inspiration back to write this bc of Kuma's kind words on this story, ily. 
> 
> ALSO, if it wasn't clear, Reggie and Steve didn't have intercourse, they basically just snogged and cuddled because- well there's no plot reason really, I just didn't want them to have sex cause they where under the influence and that'd be non-con and I didn't want to write inplied non-con. also the age issue. yeah.

**Author's Note:**

> I was kidding around with the idea of a Harringrove time-travel fic but. then it wasn't a joke. It turned out longer than it should (I was going to start with Billy coming to Hawkins and 'wow this Hawkins sure feels different!' the reader thinks 'almost as if these two characters that are acting differently went back and time travele- oooh' but no. I just, had to write from the beginning.  
It will be Harringrove when Billy arrives in Hawkins but uh, depending on what I write, it might take a few chapters of season 1 stuff before that happens hahah  
I have some plot points but I'm kinda just winging it so feel free to leave any suggestions lmao.
> 
> This is like my second fanfic (the first one was a Warriors fanfic I wrote when I was like 14) so like, be patient my dudes, I'm new here haha. I dunno how frequent I can update because school is kicking my ass, but I tend to write in car rides so it shouldn't be too long.
> 
> Also I'd like to thank queenmissfit on tumblr! She's been helping me get my ideas straight (and some of the later plot stuff wouldn't have happened without her). Her Tumblr is great too, y'all should check it out. 
> 
> I'm spicy canolli on tumblr btw. yeah I'm aware canolli is spelt cannoli, just go with it.


End file.
